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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29381946">so come with me and take the ride (to the other side)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaxson_v/pseuds/jaxson_v'>jaxson_v</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Supergirl (TV 2015)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alcohol, F/F, Greatest Showman AU, but in the original they take like 8 shots and then are FINE, i know nothing about BAC so its probably v inaccurate, kara is a circus ringmaster, kire if u find this no u didnt, lena is a professional rich person, maybe i just wanted them both to wear suits, more specifically the song The Other Side, so im gonna give myself a pass, they drink a few shots</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 07:08:28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,591</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29381946</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaxson_v/pseuds/jaxson_v</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“Alright, what’s this grand offer you have?” </p><p>“I’m looking for an investor. For my circus.”</p><p>Or, Kara is looking for someone to invest in her circus. She has just the person in mind.</p><p>Or, The Greatest Showman AU</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>so come with me and take the ride (to the other side)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I've had this idea for a WHILE and apparently last night instead of sleeping my brain decided that it was time to do something about it. tbh not really sure if this would make more or less sense if you've already seen the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GimrxP2U0ZE&amp;t=6s">original scene</a> but it was very hard to edit this because the song kept playing on repeat in my head</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The sun is already starting to set when Kara walks into the bar. Alex has been bugging her nonstop that she needs to find an investor to help out with the circus, and there is one person in particular that she has in mind. </p><p> </p><p>She spots the woman she’s been looking for, sitting alone at the bar and nursing a whiskey. Lena Luthor. She’s the youngest heiress of the Luthors, one of the biggest corporate Wall Street families in New York. If Kara can get her on board with the show, they’re set.</p><p> </p><p>Kara approaches the bar and orders two shots. Lena looks at her out of the corner of her eye.</p><p> </p><p>“Miss Luthor.” Kara takes off her hat and sets it on the bartop. She sticks her hand out for a handshake with a grin. “You’re not an easy woman to track down.”</p><p> </p><p>The woman turns to Kara. She humors her and shakes her hand, an amused smile dancing across her lips.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s by design.”</p><p> </p><p>Kara ignores her and pushes on. She <em>needs</em> Lena’s help if she wants to make this work.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“I have a proposition for you.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The bartender slides the shots to them. Lena sighs, drinks her shot, and gestures for the bartender to order another round.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>I’ll take that as a go ahead.</em>
</p><p><br/>She’ll have any time with Lena she can get. She drinks her shot and steels herself. She’s going to need the courage.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Alright, what’s this grand offer you have?” </p><p> </p><p>“I’m looking for an investor. For my circus.”</p><p> </p><p>Lena snorts and turns back towards the bar. </p><p> </p><p>“Miss Danvers, while I’m very aware of your local circus act, let’s just say I feel much more comfortable admiring it from afar.”</p><p> </p><p>Kara rolls her eyes. “Ah, comfort. The enemy of progress.”</p><p> </p><p>Lena scoffs and shoots her a humorous glance. “I can’t very well go off and join the circus.”</p><p> </p><p>“Why not? Sounds thrilling.”</p><p> </p><p>The bartender arrives with their next round. Lena downs this one just as quickly.</p><p>“You realize that just getting caught within 10 feet of you could cost me my inheritance, right?”</p><p> </p><p>Kara slides her own shot to Lena.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, you’ll be risking much more than that. You’d be risking everything,” She stands up, preparing for her pitch. “But on the other hand...”</p><p> </p><p>Lena pauses, her hand stilling on the glass. Although skeptical, her eyes follow Kara curiously.</p><p> </p><p>“You wanted a grand offer? Here it is. I’ve seen your work. Your family focuses on the stock market, and big business. Calculated bets that will turn the best outcome. But <em>you</em>,” Kara pulls out a chair and sits backwards on it, leaning her arms on the back. “You’re much more philanthropic. You <em>care</em> about people. I can cut you free of the drudgery and the walls that your family keeps in. So here’s your bet.”</p><p> </p><p>The humored look on Lena’s face is gone. Now, she’s listening intently to Kara’s speech. When Kara pauses, she raises her eyebrow, so she shoots her shot.</p><p> </p><p>“Take the risk. Give up the conventionality and the typical for something <em>meaningful</em>. You are too good, and too kind to sit by and live all high and mighty away from the people. <em>Choose your own path</em>.”</p><p> </p><p>Lena’s face is unreadable. She picks up the shot glass, throws it back, and stands up.</p><p> </p><p><em>Shit</em>, she went too far, didn’t she?</p><p> </p><p>Except, instead of leaving, she stalks forward. She stands <em>close close close</em>, and tilts Kara’s head up to meet her gaze. There’s something swimming behind her eyes, a fire brimming just beneath the surface.</p><p>Kara’s having just a little trouble breathing with Lena is standing over her, smirking, and- <em>Rao</em>.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, I get it. You want to cut me in to keep your little circus afloat, so you come here and try to lure me in with your American dreamer speech.” She turns away from Kara, back to the bar. “But no thanks, I think I’m good. Believe it or not, I’m quite content with this life you seem to think I’m <em>trapped</em> in.” She picks up Kara’s abandoned hat, tosses it at her chest, and retakes her place sitting at the bar, clearly wanting to be left the way she was found.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Kara orders another round.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Lena sighs. “Look, I really do admire you. While I don’t completely understand the... <em>theatrics</em>,” Lena gestures at Kara’s ringmaster shirt and vest, her eyes raking up and down her body. Her gaze feels like fire, and Kara is suddenly very glad she traded the ostentatious bright red jacket for a winter coat before coming. “I really do think you’re doing something good. But you were right about one thing. I live among a different class. Luthors can’t go around picking up peanut shells. So, I’ll just have to leave that job to you.”</p><p> </p><p>Lena takes her third shot, and Kara is starting to worry if she’ll be making a deal with a drunk woman at the end of the night.</p><p> </p><p>Lena seems to be having some sort of monologue with herself through the haze of the alcohol.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m okay with the uptown, corporate role I get to play. I’ve been given everything I need in life.” She doesn’t look at Kara while she says it, staring straight ahead like she’s reminding herself as much as she is Kara. “Who am I to just throw all of that away? I’m doing fine. I don’t need your silly little band of misfits to make me feel like I need more.”</p><p> </p><p>And <em>oh</em>, Kara softens. She moves closer to her, trying to catch her eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“Is this really how you want to spend your life? Whiskey, plays, performative donations, fancy galas? So disconnected from people that you don’t know who you could be if you gave yourself the chance?”</p><p> </p><p>Lena snaps her head toward her, her eyes suddenly rimmed with tears. She’s desperate now. “If I were mixed up with you, my career would be over. To my family, I’d just be another one of the <em>clowns</em>.”</p><p> </p><p>Lena blinks and immediately reels back, apologetic. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that-“</p><p> </p><p>Kara takes her hands, and knows this is her last chance. “Lena. You could live your life with no judgement from your family. When was the last time you had <em>fun</em>? When was the last time you busted out laughing, no inhibitions? The last time you hugged someone, had the freedom to dream, <em>kissed </em>someone!” Lena’s eyes drop to Kara’s lips with that before looking away, and her brain stutters along, trying to recover. She clears her throat. “I-I’m just saying. That seems like a deal worth taking.”</p><p> </p><p>Lena sinks back into her seat. She firmly keeps her eyes locked on the bartop, and rests on her arms, taking the last shot left, excessively casual.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll have another whiskey.” She says lowly to the bartender.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Karas heart sinks. It seems she didn’t win Lena over like she had hoped. She grabs her hat and slides a couple of crumpled bills towards the bartender.</p><p> </p><p>“She’ll have a water, too.” She doesn’t look back at Lena as she opens the door to the bar and steps out.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>It’s dark outside, and the cold seeps into her bones. It seems her whole body shivers, accompanied by the realization that she’s going to have trouble finding another investor in this town. Lena was her Hail Mary.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>She makes it about a hundred feet down the block when a voice calls out.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p> </p><p>“To take this offer would cost me incredibly. So, Miss Danvers, what percentage of the show would I be taking?”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>She whips around, to find Lena standing in the light of the bar, her suit rumpled and her cheeks pink from the drinks. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Kara grins so wide she feels like her face might’ve cracked. She masks her grin into playful serious consideration. </p><p> </p><p>“Fair enough, of course you’d want a piece of the action. I’ll give you seven percent, and we’ll have a deal.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Lena scoffs, and takes a step closer. “I wasn’t born yesterday. Eighteen will be just fine.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>She chuckles, and walks closer to Lena in return. “Why not just go ahead and ask for half? Since you’re throwing out unreasonably high numbers.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Fifteen.” Lena amends. Another step.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“How about eight?” Another step.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Twelve.” Step.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Maybe nine.” Kara takes the last step, and they’re only a few inches apart. The air fogs as she breathes out, meeting Lena’s eyes. She’s sure that her faux attitude isn’t nearly as effective when she can feel the happiness radiating off of her.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>They both seem to think the same thing.</p><p> </p><p>“Ten.” They say in unison.</p><p> </p><p>Lena grins, her eyes scrunching up with her smile. She sticks her hand out for a handshake in imitation of Kara at the beginning of the night. Kara never thought she would ever describe Lena Luthor with the word <em>adorable</em>, but lo and behold.</p><p> </p><p>Kara shakes her hand, and when she moves to pull away, Lena doesn’t let go.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Their eyes meet, and Kara can see the multitude of ways the night can turn out.</p><p> </p><p>Lena pulls her in <em>slow slow slow</em>, until their noses are almost touching. She can’t seem to draw her eyes away from Lena’s lips.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“I’ll see you tomorrow morning, Kara.” She whispers into the space between them.</p><p> </p><p>And then she’s gone, cold air rushing back into Kara’s space. She can’t move, just stands there and watches heels clicking down the sidewalk confidently as if Lena didn’t just consume a copious amount of alcohol and then shake apart every fiber of Kara’s being.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Oh Rao.</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>loOK my works are slowly getting longer</p><p>tell me how inebriated lena SHOULD be on <a href="https://jaxson-v.tumblr.com/">tumblr</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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